Career
He represented Bothwell in the Canadian House of Commons from 1882 to 1884 as a Liberal-Conservative member. He was born in Brantford, Upper Canada, the son of John Hawkins and Mary Macdougall, and was educated there. In 1862, Hawkins married Ellen M. Harrington.
Hawkins ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Ontario legislative assembly in 1873 and was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1878 federal election.
His election in 1882 was overturned after an appeal and David Mills was declared elected in 1884.